Dubai Day 13: Desert Biking.
Today I had to get up around four-thirty in the morning to get ready to go dirt biking in the desert. This was definitely something you cannot do in Canada, at least not to the extent that one can here. The main drawbacks were cost and convenience, but the experience would be worth it.
For the most part.
I supposed to go with Kendrick, but he bailed a couple of days earlier so I went on my own. I was able to borrow his GoPro though so I could document the entire ordeal. I had booked the beginner two hour package and decided to pay for pickup as the meeting point was somewhere in the middle of the desert.
I was the first passenger, and the driver ended up picking up a couple of other riders. I found out during the drive that the two other riders had booked a four hour tour, which meant that they ended up going on the trails with a guide, while I was left alone with the beginner instructor. This was probably a good thing, because I kept stalling the bike, or falling off the bike, or getting stuck. Had I been with a group I think I would've been holding everyone back.
Once we got going out of the compound, I exhausted myself very quickly trying to control the bike, to the point where I lost control and got thrown off. That hurt. I landed on my shoulder, but fortunately, you do not need your shoulder to ride. It is more important to use your legs and relax your upper torso.
We went back to the compound to switch bikes, but by then I was exhausted, in pain, and frustrated that I could not seem to figure out this desert biking thing. The instructor gave me a few pointers and on our second outing from the compound, I finally got it. Soon enough, we were barreling through the dunes at high speed, hitting a bunch of slopes (up and down) and I was feeling much more comfortable and confident in the saddle.
Near the end of the tour I hit a slope too shallow and I went down again, this time with the bike landing on my leg, which made the last part of the trip difficult and I was unable to properly grip the tank. Still, I made it back in one piece and spent the rest of the day recovering.
Unfortunately, I ended up turning off the GoPro for parts of the actual ride and turning it on for the parts where I was stuck - quite annoying!
I spent the rest of the morning to recuperate before going out to Souk Madinat Jumeirah to check out the Souk and the canal. Gina had errands to run with the kids so they dropped us off while we explored for a bit. There were lots of tourists, and Elsy was quite a popular attraction! A number of tourists were asking to take pictures of her, and we were willing to oblige.
After we got picked up and brought back to the villa, the adults went out to dinner at Al Fannah. It was a tasty and filling meal!
For the most part.
I supposed to go with Kendrick, but he bailed a couple of days earlier so I went on my own. I was able to borrow his GoPro though so I could document the entire ordeal. I had booked the beginner two hour package and decided to pay for pickup as the meeting point was somewhere in the middle of the desert.
I was the first passenger, and the driver ended up picking up a couple of other riders. I found out during the drive that the two other riders had booked a four hour tour, which meant that they ended up going on the trails with a guide, while I was left alone with the beginner instructor. This was probably a good thing, because I kept stalling the bike, or falling off the bike, or getting stuck. Had I been with a group I think I would've been holding everyone back.
Once we got going out of the compound, I exhausted myself very quickly trying to control the bike, to the point where I lost control and got thrown off. That hurt. I landed on my shoulder, but fortunately, you do not need your shoulder to ride. It is more important to use your legs and relax your upper torso.
We went back to the compound to switch bikes, but by then I was exhausted, in pain, and frustrated that I could not seem to figure out this desert biking thing. The instructor gave me a few pointers and on our second outing from the compound, I finally got it. Soon enough, we were barreling through the dunes at high speed, hitting a bunch of slopes (up and down) and I was feeling much more comfortable and confident in the saddle.
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| Me out on a desert on a dirt bike. |
Near the end of the tour I hit a slope too shallow and I went down again, this time with the bike landing on my leg, which made the last part of the trip difficult and I was unable to properly grip the tank. Still, I made it back in one piece and spent the rest of the day recovering.
Unfortunately, I ended up turning off the GoPro for parts of the actual ride and turning it on for the parts where I was stuck - quite annoying!
I spent the rest of the morning to recuperate before going out to Souk Madinat Jumeirah to check out the Souk and the canal. Gina had errands to run with the kids so they dropped us off while we explored for a bit. There were lots of tourists, and Elsy was quite a popular attraction! A number of tourists were asking to take pictures of her, and we were willing to oblige.
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| Maggie and Elsy at Souk Madinat Jumeirah. |
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